Application device, in particular makeup device

ABSTRACT

An application device, in particular a makeup device, comprising a first region ( 30 ) for storing a fluid, gel-like or pasty product. There is provided a second region ( 34 ) for loading an applicator ( 14 ) with the cosmetic product, the second region being separated from the first region.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention concerns an application device, in particular a makeupdevice comprising a first region for storing a fluid, gel-like or pastyproduct. In that respect the invention relates in particular to a makeupdevice which is used in conjunction with eyelash makeup or mascara orthe like. The invention however is not limited to that use.

Application devices of the above-indicated kind are known. Theseconventionally involve what are known as dip systems in which anapplication member or applicator is dipped into the first region to loadthe applicator with the product. Those conventional devices needimprovement:

Due to the applicator being dipped into the product the product can becontaminated, in particular with germs, as a result of which it canbecome unusable. In order that the applicator can dip into the firstregion at all, a comparatively large opening is required, and thatinvolves a comparatively large surface area for air to act thereon, inregard to the stored product. That gives rise to the risk of the storedproduct drying out or ageing. In addition, in the case of viscousproducts the applicator, after being dipped thereinto, leaves behind acrater-like depression which entails an increase in the surface areaopen to attack by the air. In addition, in view of the crater-likedepression, a lady user could be induced to “help things along” forexample with water because she had the impression that the product haddried out, thereby involving serious risks of contamination. Added tothat is the fact that, when loading product for example onto anapplicator in brush form having a stem, the product can also pass ontothe stem, whereby the stem becomes increasingly fouled. In additionprecise metering is not possible. It is also to be observed that wiperdevices which are conventionally provided are admittedly operativeradially but not axially, and for that reason lumps of the productremain on the applicator, and they result in overapplication andsmudging in use, for example when applying makeup. If those lumps arewiped off for example on a paper tissue, then product is wasted. Finallya problem is also to be found in the fact that dried-out crumblyresidues which are to be found under some circumstances on theapplicator are mixed into the stored product when the applicator isdipped, or dipped again, into the first region.

The object of the present invention is to improve the device of the kindset forth in the opening part of this specification in such a way thatthe above-described disadvantages and problems are eliminated.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object is attained in accordance with the invention by a secondregion for loading an applicator with the product, wherein the secondregion is separated from the first region.

In accordance with the invention, the operation of loading an applicatordoes not take place within the storage region for the product. Thateliminates any “retroaction”. In particular the problem of the storedproduct being contaminated with germs no longer arises. In additionthere does not have to be any access, corresponding to the size of theapplicator, to the product storage means (first region), so that therisk of the product drying out or ageing because of excessively largesurface areas affording access to the air no longer occurs. There isalso no risk of a stem of an applicator being unintentionally smearedwith the product. Finally there is no possibility of crumbly residuespassing into the first region.

In accordance with a particularly preferred embodiment of the inventionthere is provided at least one feed passage for feeding product from thefirst region to the second region.

In a further preferred feature the device according to the invention hasa conveyor means for conveying the product from the first region intothe second region.

In that respect the conveyor means can be in principle of any desiredconfiguration. In accordance with a particularly preferred embodiment ofthe invention however it is adapted to urge the product from the firstregion with the second region and/or to increase the pressure in thefirst region relative to the pressure in the second region. When theabove-mentioned feed passage is provided, the product is conveyedthrough the feed passage from the first region into the second regionupon actuation of the conveyor means.

In accordance with a particularly preferred embodiment of the inventionit is provided that the applicator can assume a rest position and aworking position and movement of the applicator from the rest positioninto the working position causes actuation of the conveyor means. Inother words, this virtually provides an “automatic” system so that, forloading the applicator with the product, it is sufficient to move theapplicator from the rest position into the working position.

In accordance with a particularly preferred embodiment of the inventionthe device has a receiving region, which is separated from the firstregion, for the applicator in the rest position.

That receiving region can be for example of such a configuration thatthe applicator is protected from being adversely affected in the restposition.

In a further preferred feature in that case the second region adjoinsthe receiving region in such a way that the applicator passes the secondregion (loading region) when it is removed from the receiving region forit to move into the working position.

That configuration further contributes to the “automatic” loading of theapplicator with the product, which has already been mentioned above.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention the devicehas: a screwthread which has a first screwthread element and a secondscrewthread element and the actuation of which causes movement of theapplicator from the rest position into the working position, and acoupling for coupling the first screwthread element to the conveyormeans.

The above-mentioned coupling serves in particular to embody the“automatic” system already mentioned above.

The coupling preferably involves a one-way coupling.

That arrangement ensures that the conveyor means is actuated only whenthe applicator is moved from the rest position into the workingposition, but not when the applicator is moved from the working positioninto the rest position.

As a particularly simple feature it is preferred in accordance with theinvention that the coupling is a ratchet coupling.

In order to ensure simplicity of actuation in accordance with a furtherpreferred embodiment of the invention the coupling has at least oneelastic ratchet element.

In a further preferred feature the conveyor means has a piston-cylinderdevice.

In accordance with a further preferred embodiment of the invention theconveyor means has a rotary drive.

That means that the conveyor means can be embodied in a particularlysimple manner.

In that respect the rotary drive in a further preferred feature has ahollow spindle, the internal space of which is designed to receiveand/or pass therethrough the applicator and on the outside surface ofwhich is provided a screwthread. That makes it possible to provide aparticularly compact structure.

Preferably there is provided a wiper for wiping product residues fromthe applicator after use thereof. The product residues can be fed to areservoir for old material after the wiping operation.

In accordance with a further preferred feature the invention providesnot only the application device in accordance with the foregoingconfigurations but also such an application device in combination withan applicator for the product.

In addition the invention also relates to the applicator for anapplication device in accordance with the foregoing configurations.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention is described in greater detail hereinafter by means of apreferred embodiment by way of example with reference to theaccompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 shows a diagrammatic view in longitudinal section of a makeupdevice in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, and

FIG. 2 shows a diagrammatic perspective view of the detail y in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The application device illustrated in the drawing is a makeup device. Ithas a handle portion 10 in which a stem 12 with an applicator 14 at itsfree end is fixedly inserted. In the rest position shown in FIG. 1 thehandle portion 10 is screwed onto a container 16. For that purpose thecontainer 16 has a male screwthread 18. The handle portion has ascrewthread 20. A hollow spindle 22 is fitted rotatably into thecontainer 16. The hollow spindle 22 has a male screwthread 24 meshingwith a female screwthread 26 of a piston 28. The piston 28 is admittedlyaxially displaceable with respect to the container 16 but it is heldnon-rotatably.

Provided in the central region of the container 16 is a storage means 30for a cosmetic product, for example mascara. A feed passage 32 directlyabove a chamber bottom 33 communicates the storage means 30 with aloading region 34.

In the rest position shown in FIG. 1 the applicator 14 which for exampleis in the form of a brush is disposed in a receiving region 36. Disposedbetween the receiving region 36 and the loading region 34 is a wiper 38for cleaning the applicator after it has been used. The receiving region36 is surrounded by a reservoir 40 for old material. The lower closurepart of the container is formed by an end portion 42.

As can be seen from FIG. 2 the stem 12 in cross-section is of a contourwith four ratchet projections of which one is identified by way ofexample by reference numeral 44. The hollow spindle 22 is provided withan elastically resilient ratchet tongue 46. The number of ratchetprojections 44 is not restricted to four. It is preferably in the rangeof from one to six. In the same manner it is also possible to provide aplurality of ratchet tongues 46.

The mode of operation of the makeup device illustrated in the drawing isas follows:

When the handle portion 10 is unscrewed from the container 16, whichrequires a rotary movement of the handle portion 10 relative to thecontainer 16, then the stem 12 which rotates with the handle portion 10entrains the hollow spindle 22 by way of the ratchet projections 44 andthe ratchet tongue 46. The result of that rotary movement of the hollowspindle 22 is that the piston 28 is displaced downwardly in FIG. 1 byway of the pair of screwthreads 24/26. In the illustrated embodiment thepitch of the pair of screwthreads 24/26 is about 0.4 mm, for whichreason the piston 28 is moved downwardly by the specified 0.4 mm inFIG. 1. As a result mascara is urged out of the storage means 30 intothe loading region 34 by way of the feed passage 32.

Because of the handle portion 10 being unscrewed from the container 16however, simultaneously with the above-described downward movement ofthe piston 28 the applicator element 14 is moved upwardly in FIG. 1 pastthe wiper 38 and through the loading region 34. In that loading regionit is loaded with mascara by way of the feed passage 32.

As the piston 28 moves downwardly precisely by the above-mentionedstroke movement, it is possible to provide for accurate portioning ofthe mascara when loading the applicator 14. If more or less is to beloaded onto the applicator 14, it is only necessary to alter the ratioof the pitches of the pairs of screwthreads 24/26 and 18/20. A pistonmovement of 0.2-0.7 mm has proven to be advantageous.

When, after application of the cosmetic product, the handle portion 10is screwed onto the container 16 again, the coupling formed by theelements 44 and 46 slips, so that the piston 28 does not move. The wiper38 wipes mascara residues from the applicator 14. The residues arecollected in the reservoir 40 for old material. Accordingly the wiper 38acts as a cleaning device for the applicator 14, that is to say theapplicator 14 is cleaned by the wiper before the next operation ofloading it with mascara.

The features disclosed in the foregoing description, the claims and thedrawing can be essential for implementation of the invention in thevarious embodiments thereof both individually and also in anycombinations.

1. An application device, in particular a makeup device comprising: acontainer (16) wherein the applicator (14) has a rest position and aworking position; an applicator (14) removably attached to the container(16); the container (16) has a first region (30) inside the containerfor storing a product and a second region (34) inside the container forloading the applicator (14) with the product, wherein the second region(34) is separated from the first region (30); a receiving region (36),which is separated from the first region (3), for receiving theapplicator (20) when the applicator is located in the container in therest position; a reservoir (40) surrounding the receiving region (36)defined in part by a chamber bottom (33) which separates the firstregion (30) from the reservoir (40); and a radially extending feedpassage (32) defined in part by the chamber bottom (33) communicates theproduct from the first region (30) to the second region (34).
 2. Thedevice as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a conveyor means (28)for conveying the product from the first region (30) into the secondregion (34).
 3. The device as set forth in claim 1, further comprising aconveyor means (28) for displacing the product from the first region(30) into the second region (34) and to increase the pressure in thefirst region (30) relative to the pressure in the second region (34). 4.The device as set forth in claim 2, wherein the applicator (14) has arest position and a working position wherein movement of the applicator(14) from the rest position into the working position causes actuationof the conveyor means (28).
 5. The device as set forth in claim 1,wherein the second region (34) adjoins the receiving region (36) suchthat the applicator (14) passes the second region (34) when it isremoved from the receiving region (36) for moving the applicator intothe working position.
 6. The device as set forth in claim 4, furthercomprising a screwthread which has a first screwthread element (20) anda second screwthread element (18) for movement of the applicator (14)from the rest position into the working position, and a coupling (44,46) for coupling the first screwthread element (20) to the conveyormeans (28).
 7. The device as set forth in claim 6, wherein the coupling(44, 46) is a one-way coupling.
 8. The device as set forth in claim 6,wherein the coupling (44, 46) is a ratchet coupling.
 9. The device asset forth in claim 8, wherein the coupling (44, 46) has at least oneelastic ratchet element (46).
 10. The device as set forth in claim 3,wherein the conveyor means (28) has a piston-cylinder device.
 11. Thedevice as set forth in claim 10, wherein the conveyor means (28) has arotary drive (22, 24, 26).
 12. The device as set forth in claim 11,wherein the rotary drive (22, 24, 26) has a hollow spindle (22) havingan internal space, wherein the internal space is designed for receivingand/or passing therethrough the applicator (14) and on the outsidesurface of which is provided a screwthread (24).
 13. The device as setforth in claim 1, further comprising a wiper (38) for wiping productfrom the applicator (14) after use of the applicator (14), wherein thewiped product is received in the reservoir (40).